Right-wing talking points do little to help nation

After reading Lowman S. Henry's op-ed piece in the Sunday Patriot-News (Oct. 16), it occurred to me that pretty much anyone can write a similar piece. All one has to do is listen to Rush Limbaugh, then flip over to Sean Hannity. Then, you just write down their talking points, and bingo, you’re done.

While I don't support every aspect of Occupy Wall Street, I have no doubt that they are well-meaning people whose anxiety about our country's future is deeply felt. What enrages Occupy Wall Street is that we are increasingly becoming a nation of haves and have-nots. Unlike Mr. Henry, let me offer facts.

In 2007, the last year for which such information is available, the top 1 percent of the U.S. population held 43 percent of the country's financial wealth and 35 percent of the total net worth. By contrast, the bottom 80 percent of the population had only 7 percent of financial wealth and 19 percent of the total net worth.

The last time we had this much wealth disparity was the gilded age of the robber barons. Many folks feel that they've been playing by the rules, but the American Dream is just a game that is rigged against them. These concerns are the genesis of Occupy Wall Street. It is counterproductive to dismiss the concerns of the tea party or Occupy Wall Street. Mr. Henry's right-wing talking points bring us no closer to a solution for our country.